“As the problem of plastic waste around the world has gotten worse, many countries and companies have begun to ban single-use plastic items.” Ikea has added momentum to this movement. Ikea announced “it will stop selling single-use plastic products in its stores and remove them from its restaurants by 2020.” This ties into the retailer’s larger sustainability vision. Ikea seeks “to become ‘planet positive’ by 2030, and aims to purchase 100% renewable energy by 2020, achieve zero emissions on deliveries by 2025 and start using only renewable and recycled materials in its products.”

“CSR reporting is on the rise, and so is its impact. More companies are publishing corporate social and sustainability reports on their operations amid fresh evidence that transparency enhances valuations.”

“While any good finance executive will focus first on the costs and revenue opportunities in proposed energy-saving plants, the risks and benefits to company employees and external society will be squarely on his or her radar, because they potentially affect the company’s brand reputation.” Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) will also have their eyes open for sweet spots, “where what’s good for the planet melds seamlessly with what’s good for the bottom line. For example, Costco found that changing its energy consumption helped cut its costs.” The problem is that most environmentally based metrics aren’t linked to financial metrics. For example, when a company reduces its carbon footprint, CFOs want to see the link with “an income statement, balance sheet, or cash-flow statement.” Does the smaller footprint reduce costs, increase sales or reduce liabilities such as lawsuits? “The challenge of sustainability at the corporate level is to find a way to answer that question in hard, numeric, provable ways that take into account the self-interest so basic to our free-enterprise system.”

“For decades, many companies have typically responded to sustainability challenges by pursuing incremental operational improvements. But we are beginning to see an interesting new trend—businesses using sustainability as a tactic for long-term offense, rather than just short-term defence.” Who are these companies? Bosch, BMW Group, Daimler, DuPont, Ecolab, GE, Ikea, Kimberly Clark, Kingfisher, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Toyota and Volvo were among the cited companies. What’s driving the trend? “Leading companies are demonstrating a growing belief that their future profit and growth will be tied to how effectively they respond to looming global challenges including resource scarcity, population growth, and climate change.”

“For decades, many companies have typically responded to sustainability challenges by pursuing incremental operational improvements. But we are beginning to see an interesting new trend—businesses using sustainability as a tactic for long-term offense, rather than just short-term defence.” Who are these companies? Bosch, BMW Group, Daimler, DuPont, Ecolab, GE, Ikea, Kimberly Clark, Kingfisher, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Toyota and Volvo were among the cited companies. What’s driving the trend? “Leading companies are demonstrating a growing belief that their future profit and growth will be tied to how effectively they respond to looming global challenges including resource scarcity, population growth, and climate change.”

A recent survey of top leaders at 300 major global companies showed that 83% want “a legally binding multilateral deal…to update the ailing Kyoto protocol and help to put a price on carbon emissions.” However, less than 20% think that world leaders will accomplish this when they meet in Durban. Companies aren’t, however, waiting for the politicians. Since 2008, 88% have either increased or maintained corporate spending on sustainability, which is increasingly viewed as a core strategy to increase competitiveness by decreasing costs, combating resource scarcity and countering the impact of global warming.

We’ve been catching about 90 million tons of fish, the last great wild food, since the mid-90s and that’s simply “not enough to keep up with global seafood consumption, which has risen from 22 lb. per person per year in the 1960s to nearly 38 lb. today.” Worse yet, the U.N. reports that already “32% of global fish stocks are overexploited” so catches may decrease. Aquaculture and fish farms “might represent the last, best chance for fish to have a future.” Aquaculture is growing “faster than any other form of food production,” and now provides over 50 million tons of fish annually. Time believes, “if we’re all going to survive and thrive in a crowded world, we’ll need to cultivate the seas just as we do the land.”

We’ve been catching about 90 million tons of fish, the last great wild food, since the mid-90s and that’s simply “not enough to keep up with global seafood consumption, which has risen from 22 lb. per person per year in the 1960s to nearly 38 lb. today.” Worse yet, the U.N. reports that already “32% of global fish stocks are overexploited” so catches may decrease. Aquaculture and fish farms “might represent the last, best chance for fish to have a future.” Aquaculture is growing “faster than any other form of food production,” and now provides over 50 million tons annually. Time believes, “if we’re all going to survive and thrive in a crowded world, we’ll need to cultivate the seas just as we do the land.”

Lucky for Massachusetts’ rivers that this summer’s wet. Many go dry in August because of unreasonable demands made on them by cities and residents. The Globe urges lawmakers to pass the Sustainable Water Resources Act which would restrict the amount of water that can be removed from rivers, keeping them at safe levels for the fish and other aquatic denizens, as well as humans.

Lucky for Massachusetts’ rivers that this summer’s wet. Many go dry in August because of unreasonable demands made on them by cities and residents. The Globe urges lawmakers to pass the Sustainable Water Resources Act which would restrict the amount of water that can be removed from rivers, keeping them at safe levels for the fish and other aquatic denizens, as well as humans.

Unilever unveiled its Sustainable Living Plan. With this business model, the company aims to double sales in 10 years while cutting the environmental impact of its products in half. The company will produce an annual report to document progress on these and other sustainability goals. Unilever’s Chief Executive Paul Polman said a sustainable model is “the only way to do business long term.” Rather than viewing sustainability as conflicting with business growth, he notes “there is a compelling case for sustainable growth—retailers and consumers demand it and it saves us money.” On top of that, “there is no way of arriving at a sustainable world that does not involve businesses making money.” The BBC notes that while many leading multinationals are reducing their environmental impact few “have made such concrete commitments on environmental policy as Unilever.”

Unilever unveiled its Sustainable Living Plan. With this business model, the company aims to double sales in 10 years while cutting the environmental impact of its products in half. The company will produce an annual report to document progress on these and other sustainability goals. Unilever’s Chief Executive Paul Polman said a sustainable model is “the only way to do business long term.” Rather than viewing sustainability as conflicting with business growth, he notes “there is a compelling case for sustainable growth—retailers and consumers demand it and it saves us money.” On top of that, “there is no way of arrive at a sustainable world that does not involve businesses making money.” The BBC notes that while many leading multinationals are reducing their environmental impact few “have made such concrete commitments on environmental policy as Unilever.”